


Target Practice

by victoria_p (musesfool)



Category: Firefly
Genre: Community: halfamoon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-05
Updated: 2010-02-05
Packaged: 2017-10-07 05:57:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musesfool/pseuds/victoria_p
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zoe's got the patience of a stone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Target Practice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [innie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/innie/gifts).



> For innie_darling, who gave me the prompt "Zoe, patience" for [**halfamoon**](http://community.livejournal.com/halfamoon/) 2010.

Zoe don't believe in much anymore. She's lost too much in too many senseless ways to believe in god or the government, or in anything but the sure metal of the gun at her hip and the solid strength of the people she trusts at her back.

A shot rings out, sailing far wide of its target. Zoe raises her eyes to heaven and murmurs a soft prayer for strength to that god she don't believe in.

Simon shakes his stinging hand and says, "I'm a doctor, not a mercenary."

"You need to be able to defend yourself," Zoe says implacably, same as she did every other time he cut up a fuss or tried to get ornery. He's got some spirit to him, she'll allow, but Zoe's got the patience of a stone. Couldn't live with Mal and Jayne if she didn't. "'Specially if it's just you and Kaylee when the rest of us are out on a job."

"I'm still not comfortable with River going out on jobs," he says, taking out a threadbare handkerchief and wiping his sweaty face with it.

Zoe presses her lips together, promises herself a fine revenge on the captain for sticking her with this thankless task, and says, "And I'm not comfortable with you not being able to hit the broad side of a barn from point blank range, so don't it seem wiser to you to put at least one of us more at ease?"

"Zoe--"

She keeps her face impassive, just cocks her head the way she used to when she wanted Wash to get with the program without a lot of chatter. It isn't any less effective on the doctor than it was on her husband.

"Fine," he says, and raises the gun again, hands white-knuckled around the grip.

"Could be worse," she offers after this shot actually wings the target.

Simon raises an eyebrow in disbelief. "How?"

Zoe allows herself a small smile. "Could be Jayne teaching you."

Simon laughs, and takes aim.

~*~


End file.
